Greetings - Penny and I have a contract on Truelove, our sailboat, and the new owners will be taking possession in December, pending sea trial and survey. So, we will be taking Seahorse on another voyage to Trinidad so as to collect our gear and get some work done at a reasonable price. We made this voyage once before, in 2005-2006, and have sailed in the islands for many years. We will depart Beaufort as soon after Nov 1 as we have a good forecast. It is about 1230 nm on a rhumbline from Beaufort, NC to St Maarten via the Anegada (Sombrero) Passage and will take approximately 9 days at 6 knots. There will be wind forward of the beam and the current foul for a large portion of the passage. Following a day or so on the Dutch side of St Maarten, we will proceed southward to Trinidad as quickly as weather permits however it's unlikely we'll overnight. We will listen to Herb Hilgenberg's advice for the areas we'll be passing through before departure and while underway but will not contact him unless needed. We will also monitor Chris Parker's forecasts and will likely get a waypoint from Jenifer Clark for the Stream portion - likely worth it with fuel costs what they are/will be. We 'd expect to split that cost. The advantages of wintering in the Eastern Caribbean are many, but one of the biggest is the cost of Diesel fuel. It is still $1.00/gallon in Trinidad and about 1/3 of that in Venezuela because of government subsidies. So if you have the capacity to get there you can cut your cost proportionately. However, I know of no island north of Trinidad where it is less expensive as in the US, and it may be more. Anyone interested in making this passage with their boat is invited to contact me via email. Serious inquiries only, please. Regards, John & Penny Camm "Seahorse" **************Get the scoop on last night's hottest shows and the live music scene in your area - Check out TourTracker.com! (http://www.tourtracker.com?NCID=aolmus00050000000112)